Illuminated warning device with replaceable component



Dec. 29, 1964 B. D. MGMAINS Filed Dec. 19. 1960 I-cai' ILLUMINATED WARNING DEVICE WITH REPLACEABLE COMPONENT Nvvxurk Fili-anun Ill: .I1

INVENTOR. BILLY D. MCMAINS 0m +0@ ATTORNEYS United States Patent Calice 3,163,78 Patented Dec. 29, 1954 3,163,708 ILLUMINATED WARNING DEVICE WITH REPLACEABLE COMPNENT Biily D. MeMains, Anaheim, Calif., assignor, by mesne,

assignments, to Master Speciaities Company, Gardena,

Calif., a corporation of California Filed Dec. 19, '1960, Ser. No. 76,913 1 Claim. (Cl. 174-52) This invention relates to an illuminated warning device with a removable and replaceable test cartridge used in testing lamps within the device.

Illuminated warning devices of the type with which the present invention is concerned are used frequently in aircraft applications and in master control panels, for example. Such devices must operate with the highest degree of reliability, and must also be of small compact size because many such devices are normally used within a relatively small area. The devices also must be easy to repair and must be capable of being placed in working order, after failure, within a short period of time.

Because the warning device must be of utmost reliability, it is provided with a test circuit by means of which lamps therein can be quickly checked to see if they have burned out. Accordingly, each lamp within the device is connected through an auxiliary, test circuit which is arranged so that all lamps can be testedy by the simple closure of a single switch. To prevent feed-back in such a test circuit and to enable all lamps to be tested by means of but one switch, the circuit is provided with a plurality of diodes which control current flow and maintain separate operation of each lamp while combining them in the one circuit. Test circuits of this nature are shown and described more fully in Kratville Patent No. 2,839,741, issued June 17, 1958.

Because the diodes used in the test circuit occasionally fail, it is necessary that they can be quickly and easily replaced in order to maintain reliable operation of the warning device. It is also desirable that the diodes can be replaced by similar ones from other parts of the test circuit of the device or of another device so that the inoperable diode can be replaced by an operable one from another part of the same device whereby a diode is always available.

An illuminated device according to the present invention is provided with a diode test cartridge for each lamp therein, which cartridge can be easily placed in and removed from the device with minimum effort. The cartridge is provided with several electrical contacts which automatically engage contacts within the device when inserted thereinto and fastened in place. In the preferred form of the invention, the cartridges are held in recesses or openings in side walls of the warning device housing with rapidly operating fasteners holding the cartridges in place. The fasteners are easily turned by means of a screwdriver or the like to lock and to release the cartridges. As previously mentioned, any cartridge can be used in any other recess or opening so that one cartridge can be substituted for another when needed and no additional replacements are available. The diodes can be replaced without any soldering and desoldering operations which are not only time consuming but require the availability of soldering guns or irons and solder.

It is, therefore, a principal object of the invention to provide yan illuminated warning device with separate test cartridges therefor.

Another object of the invention is to provide a warning device having a separate and separable cartridge held therein, which cartridge carries at least one electrical component used in the device.

Still `another object of the invention is to provide an illuminated warning device in which lamps 'thereof are tested with a separate test circuit and in which diodes of the test circuit are carried in the device in a separate and separable cartridge.

A further object of the invention is 'to provide an improved illuminated warning device carrying separate and separable diode cartridges which are interchangeable with other cartridges in the same or similar devices.

Still a further object of the invention is to provide an illuminated warning device containing separate and separable diode test cartridges with means for rapidly fastening the cartridges in the device without the use of soldering or similar fastening operations.

@ther objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a view in perspective of an illuminated warnin gdevice embodying the principles of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a View on longitudinal cross section, taken along the line 2 2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is `an enlarged view in perspective of a diode test cartridge used in the device shown in FIGS. l and 2 and of a plurality of contacts within the device which are engaged by the cartridge;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary side view, partly in cross section, of the cartridge and contacts shown in FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is a diagrammatic view of a test circuit used in the warnin g device.

Referring to the drawing, and more particularly to FIG. 1, an illuminated warning device 10, embodying the principles of the invention, includes a housing 12, a frame 14, and an illuminated face 16. Thedevice li) usually is mounted in a panel with only the trarne 14 and the face 16 exposed.

Referring more particularly to FIG. 2, the device 10 includes three basic parts: an illuminating assembly 18, a switch-actuating assembly 20, and a switch assembly 22. The illuminating assembly 18 includes a casing 24 carrying lamps 28, either two or four lamps being used in the device 1d, four being employed in the instant one. The lamps 28 are held in the casing 24 by bifurcated contact arms 3i) which engage metal shells of the lamps 28 both to hold them in place and to provide electrical contact therewith. The arms 38 are connected electrically with a metal bushing 32 located centrally in the bottom of the casing 24.

Within the casing 24 is a slidable capsule 3d having a locking pin 36 depending therefrom and extending through the bushing 32. Openings 3d are formed in the capsule 34 to receive bulb portions of the lamps 2S' which extend partially into the interior of the capsule 34. The interior of the capsule 34 can be partitioned olf into four compartments by a longitudinally extending partition 4t? (FIG. l) and by a laterally extending partition d2 (FIGS. l and 2), there being thus formed a compartment for each of the lamps 28. A transparent sheet 44 extends across the face of the capsule 34, above the parti-tions 4t) and 42 while a plurality of smaller compartment sheets i6 are 3 supported in the capsule 34, immediately under the transparent sheet 44. The compartment sheets 46 can be translucent, colored, or imprinted with suitable indicia to provide many different effects and to transmit various warnings or messages depending upon the requirements ot the particular installation. When the tour lamps 2S are wired separately, each of the groups of compartment sheets t6 for each of the four compartments can have different indicia and colors to provide various warnings relating to four separate conditions being monitored. The Sheets 44 and 45 are retained by a slidable cap 48- which can be removed from either end of the capsule 34 to provide access to the sheets 44 and 46 for replacement purposes.

. The capsule 34 can be pushed inwardly by pressing on the obverse face 16 thereof to torce the pin 36 inwardly and to impart an inwardly directed movement to a switchconnecting rod 5l) of the assembly Ztl, the rod 5b extending upwardly into a guide tube 52 which `is slidably held in a bushing 5dot a dividing wall 5d. The particular `details of the guide tube 52 form no part of the invention and will not be discussed further.

The lower end of the switch rod Sti is engaged with a connector 5S of the switch assembly 22 which electrically connects terminals 6i) when brought into contact therewith. The connector Sti connects Ithe terminals 60 when it is moved inwardly by the switch rod 5t) and the pin 36 when the slidable capsule 34 is pushed inwardly by an operator. Many types of switches can be used and the particular switch assembly 22 is shown only for purposes of illustration. The switch 22 can be used for many purposes such as to eiiect a change in the condition being monitored by the device liti, or to close a test circuit to determine if the lamps 28 are functioning properly, by way of example.

As previously indicated, the lamps 28 can be wired to operate individually, in pairs, or all together, to indicate a particular status of a condition or conditions being monitored. The lamps 28 can be designed to light upon the occurrence of a certain change in the condition or to burn steadily and be extinguished upon the occurrence of the change, for example. A ground path is provided for the lamps 2S through the bifurcated Contact arms 39, thefbushing 32, the guide tube 52, the bushing 54, and a terminal d2 which extends longitudinally of the casing and out the inner end thereof. A path for the hot side of each of the lamps 2S is provided through a spring contactor 64,

a. threaded connector 66, and an upper lamp contact d.

After a gap, the path continues through a lower lamp contact '70 and a terminal '72, as shown for the right hand lamp in FIG. 2 and FIG. 4. Each of the lamps 2S has a terminal strip similar to the terminal strip 72, all oi' which strips extend through the inner end of the housing 12.

The upper lamp contact 68 and the lower lamp contact 7i) are connected by a first diode 74 (FIGS. 4 and 5) electrically connected by conductors 76 and 78 to bead contacts Sil and 82 which engage the contacts 68 and 7h, respectively. The diode 74 and its related par-ts are located in a cartridge 84, to be discussed in more detail later. One ofthe cartridges 84 is used for each of the lamps 2S unless two or more of the lamps 28 are wired together, in which case one of the cartridges d4 is used for each group of lamps.

The cartridge S4 also has a second diode which constitutes a part of a test circuit for the lamps 2S. Because of the factrthat the warning device must be as reliable as possible, means must be provided for quickly testing the lamps 23 so that it may be quickly determined whether an extinguished lamp is caused by a change in the condition being monitored by it or because it has burned out. To enable the. lamps 2% to be tested, the upper lamp contact 68 is also connected to one of two test contacts S5 which are connected by a conducting racket SS (FIGS. 2 and 4) which is in contact with a test terminal 9i? which extends through the inner end of the housing 12, behind the terminal strip 72. The terminal strip 90 is electrically connected through the bracket 88 and a conductor 92 to all four of the test contacts 86, so that all four of the lamps 2S in the device lt) may be tested at one time. This can be accomplished through a test circuit as shown diagrammatically in FIG. 5, the circuit including a power source B and a switch S. When the switch S is closed, a direct path is established through the lamps 23 and all the lamps will then light unless burned out. This direct path is estableshed through the terminal strip 90, the contact 86, a Contact bead 94 (FIGS.4 and 5), a diode 96 and conductors 9S and 160, the contact bead Si), the contact 63, the threaded fastener 56, and the spring contacter 64 to the lamp 28. The ground path for the test circuit is established through ythe previously described ground path for the lamps 2S. All of the lamps 28 thus can be tested by employing and closing but one switch.

The diode 74 prevent feedback of the current in the test circuit to faul-t switches or other components which sense the status of the condition being monitored and which are connected to the terminals 72 for the lamps 28. Also, the diodes 96 prevent feedback of current in the condition-responsive circuits to other of the lamps 28.

Referring more particularly to the physical aspects of the diode cartridge S4, it has generally the same shape as an opening 162 (FIGS. 3 and 4 and also as indicated in dotted lines in FIG. 2) located in a side wall of the housing l2. The upper end of the cartridge 84 has projections 104 associated therewith, which projections tit under the housing 12 and retain one end of the cartridge 84 in place. The other end of the cartridge S4 is held in place by a rotatable disc 106 having a flat edge portion 108 (FIG. 3) which clears the cartridge 84 and enables it to be removed when the disc 106 is in the position shown in FIG. 3. When the disc 106 is rotated to the position shown in FlG. 1 or 4, a portion of it lies above the cartridge 84 Vand maintm'ns Ithe other end of it in the housing 12.

When the cartridge S4 extends into the housing 12 through the opening 102, the bead contacts 80, 82, and 94 engage the contacts 68, 70, and S6, the latter three being somewhat resilient to maintain good electrical connections with the former three contacts. The Contact 86 can be pushed back suiciently when the cartridge 84 is in- 'serted in the housing 12, in that it will urge the cartridge outwardly when the disc 196 is rotated to the proper position, so as to push the cartridge partly out of the opening i452 and make is easily removable. Of course, any of the cartridges 84 in the device 10 or similar cartridges in other devices are interchangeable so that anyone can be substituted for any other, if needed.

Various moditications of the above described embodiment of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and it is to be understood that such modifications can be made without departing from Ithe scope of the invention, if within the spirit and tenor of the accompanyin g claim.

Iclaim:

ln an electrical device, a housing having a Wall with an opening therein, means forming an electrical circuit in said housing, said circuit being discontinuous adjacent said opening with two portions thereof terminating in two contacts adjacent said opening, a cartridge carrying an electrical component connected to two contacts on said cartridge, said cartridge having an outer vhat surface which is substantially ilush with said housing wall when said cartridge extends through said opening into said housing,

saidV cartridge contacts engaging said circuit contacts and connecting said component into said circuit when J ing wall, said rotatable member including a disc lying close to said housing wall and having a first position in which a portion of said disc is over said opening and is engageable with the outer surface of said cartridge when in said opening to hold said cartridge with the outer surface substantially ilush with said housing wall, said disc having a second position in which said disc portion is spaced from said cartridge so that said cartridge can be withdrawn from said opening.

1,172,320 Tholstrup Feb. 22, 1916 6 Martinson Ian. 6, 1931 McCartney Jan. 6, 1948 Talty Feb. 5, 1955 Sperry May 24, 1955 Andre et al. Ian. 28, 1958 Kratville Iune 17, 1958 Premoshis Oct. 13, 1959 Wilkinson Oct. 3, 1961 Edwards Sept. 10, 1963 

